Hub cap tool



Aug. 2, 1960 2,947,072

R. J, IRWIN HUB CAP TOOL Filed Feb. 7. 1955 INVENTOR. ROBE/8T I fl w/N Un t d St P 07 2,947,072 HUBCAP Toot. Robert J. Irwin, sass Wabash, Seattle, Wash.

Filed Feb. 7, 1955, Sen Nil-486,314

1 claim. cue-2 4s invention relates toi-whatw ill be designated as a .hub-cap tool. Moreparticularly it has reference to 2 2,947,072 Patented Aug. 2., 19

tion's, or valleys for both ornamental and functional purposes. Such hub caps are'normally retained in place tool designed to be used for the manual application and removal of hub caps from the wheels ofpresent 'day automobiles. V It is the principal object of'this invention to provide a tool of the above stated kind, by means of which hub caps, of the large s iz es, as presently being used on automobiles, can be easily andquickly-z. removed. from the d 9 maybe eas ly d: q ly app i without denting, scratching jor in any way marring their surfaces. a

3 -It is a further object thejpresent invention toprovide More specifically stated, it is the principal object of i this invention to provide a tool of the above kind com: prising an arcuate base bar, equipped with cushioning sleeves, adapted to be flatly engaged against the rim or peripheral portion of the cap for seating it, and from which bar a post extends outwardly to serve as a handle member that may be gripped in one hand for the purpose of holding the tool in proper position relative to the cap, and which post, at its outer end is equipped with a combined striking head and claw; the striking head being adapted to receive a blow thereagainst for the final seating of the hub cap after the tool has been properly placed thereagainst, and the claw being adapted to be used for the unseating or release of the cap from its holding clips, or from the wheel rim.

Further objects and advantages of the invention reside in the details of construction and combination ofparts and in the mode of use of the tool, as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the present tool as applied against a hub cap preparatory to its being seated and secured.

Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the tool.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken through the tool on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

t Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the positioning and use of the tool for seating a hub cap on a wheel. 7

Fig. 5 is a view showing the manner of applying and use of the tool for the release. of a hub cap from. the

wheel. t u

Explanatory tothe present invention, it will here be noted that present day automobiles have their wheels equipped with relatively large hub caps of circular, dished,

form; such caps generally being formed about their peripheral portions with concentrically arranged corrugaby the gripping action of a plurality of spring clips that are fixed to the peripheral portion of the hub cap to extend inwardly therefrom for engaging the tire carrying rim portion of the wheel. In the application, as well as in the'removal of the hub caps, force must be applied to the cap to cause the clips to yield sufiiciently that the cap can 'be driven into place. In the past, it has been a general practice in applying a hub cap to merely place it in position and then strike it a series of blows about its peripheral portion with the hand or a cushioned hammer, thus to force it into proper place. This procedure has quite frequently resulted in-the cap being dented or otherwise marred. For the removal of the caps, it has been a practice to insert the end of ascrew driver, or similar tool, between the wheel face and rim of the 'cap and then turn thescrew' driver in such manner as to pryhthe cap free from the wheel rim. This operation, also causes scratching oroth'erwise marring' of the cap edge.' It is to avoid such marring, dentirig or scratchingof the-caps in their application or removal that thepresent'impr'oved device has been designed;

V ..Ret'-erring'rnorein detail tothe drawings: c I

The present tool comprisesra'narcuate bar '10, With a'radius of curvature of aboutfive. and one-half to six inches; and extending through an .arc of from to 1 35?. Formed. integral *with the'bar and extending outwardly therefrom at a point intermediate its ends, is a post 11 preferably having a length of about five inches. This is formed at its outer end with a flat and somewhat enlarged striking head 12, and extending from this, perpendicular to the post and in a direction outwardly from and radial of the bar, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, is a prying tooth or claw #13. This tapers to its outer end and terminates in a sharpened edge, as seen at 14.

The bar 10 is round in cross section and about /8" in diameter. Fitted thereabout, adjacent its outer ends and near the post 11, are rubber cushioning sleeves 15, the purpose of which sleeve is to prevent any possible scratching of the hub cap surface by the application thereto of the tool in its use, and to cushion the blows applied against the head for the seating of the hub cap.

In use'of the present tool, the post 11 serves as a handle member for the claw or tooth in the removal of the cap and also as a handle for the bar in its use for the reseating of the cap, as presently explained.

In the present specification, the term hub cap has reference to the smaller sizes of caps that are snapped over a-plurality of spring clips on the wheel body, and also to the larger types herein illustrated which fill the space within the tire mounting rim, and which in trade are sometimes referred to as the trim ring or trim disk. The latter types are provided adjacent the edge at one point with a hole for the passing of the valve stem outwardly therethrough.

For the applying or seating of a hub cap on a Wheel, it is first placed properly in position for the passing of the valve stem through its peripheral opening, and is properly seated at that point. Then the tool is applied against a peripheral portion of the cap, for example as in Fig. 1, with the arcuate bar seated, if possible, in one of the concentric grooves or channels of the cap. When so seated, the tool is held in place by grasping the post portion 1 1 in one hand. Then, with the palm of the other hand, a sharp blow is struck against the head :12 thus to seat the spring clips as provided on that portion of the cap, within the wheel rim. This operation is repeated at different places progressively about the cap, and in this way it can be fully and efiectively seated.

It is to be observed, particularly by reference to Fig. 3, that the post 11 leans inwardly toward the center of curvature of the bar 10. The reason for this is to cause the force "of any blow struck against the head 12 in a cap seating operation to be distributed along the bar. By this distribution of force along the bar, there is no chance of the cap being dented asmight be the case if the force 'of the blow is concentrated at a single point.

For the removal of a hub cap from a wheel, the tool is applied and used as has been illustrated in Fig. 5. This view shows a hub cap 20 as applied to a wheel and as equipped about the inside'of its peripheral portion with spring clips, one of which is illustrated at 21. In applying the 'tool, it is grasped in one hand by the post or handle portion '11, and the sharpened edge of the tooth applied between the wheel rim and peripheral portion of the cap. Then byan upward pull on the handle, in the direction indicated by the arrow adjacent thereto, the rim of the cap can be pried free from the wheel at this point. This operation can be repeated at other places where holding is similarly eifected.

It is to beunders'tood that the arcuate bar 10 might be fitted to its full length, if desired, with the cushioning sleeves and it might be made longer or shorter and curved to a shorter or longer radius, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Also, it might be made of various materials or metals either as a single casting or as a tool fabricated from the several parts 10, 1 1, 12 and 13 separately formed and then joined in any suitable manner. At present, it is preferred to make the dc vice of aluminum and as a single casting, and to apply cushioning sleeves as herein illustrated. Also, to make it substantially in the dimensions previously given. How ever, it is not desired to in any way limit the device to specific dimensions, or materials.

One of the characterizing features of the invention resides in the fact that the present tool serves both the purpose of removing the cap and for replacing it, thus eliminating a two tool requirement.

Tools of-this kind are easy to use, practical and entirely satisfactory in use and are relatively inexpensive.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 135,426 Otto' Apr. 6, 1943 1, 41,269 --"-Hol e Sept. 6, 1927 1,758,822 Birdsong .11 May 13, 1930 1,914,257 Holmes 1; June 13, 1933 2,049,489 Christen Aug. 4, 1936 2,266,511 Predm'ore Dec. 16, 1941 2,454,771 1948 -Can' Nov, 30, 

